1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to recreational roller board equipment, such as skateboards, and more particularly to a truck assembly for a roller board apparatus which creates a riding experience simulative of wave surfing or snow boarding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recreational activities such as skateboarding, snow boarding, wave surfing and wind surfing each have the common element of requiring their participants to develop the skill of balancing themselves on a relatively planar platform while propelling themselves forward by having to transfer their weight in a certain manner to effect a turn. Due to this common underlying element of these various activities, they tend to attract common individuals. Hence, an individual who skateboards would probably like to wave surf, snow board and wind surf.
Unfortunately, wave surfing and wind surfing each require the use of water, most suitably an ocean, and snow boarding obviously requires mountains and snow. Therefore, these activities can only be performed during certain seasons and only in certain locations, while skateboarding can be performed in any location during essentially any season. Thus, it would be enticing to those who enjoy the above-described activities to have a skate board type apparatus which could effectively simulate the feel of each of the other activities.
Traditional skateboard apparatus is basically comprised of an elongated planar platform having two straight axles positioned transversely across each end of the platform. Wheels pivotally mounted on the ends of the axles provide a stable motive base similar to that of an automobile. A user of the board stands on the non-wheeled side of the platform and propels himself along by pushing the ground with one foot while balancing himself on the platform with his other foot. Since the wheels are pivotally mounted, turns can be accomplished by transferring one's weight in the desired turn direction. While a turn can be successfully accomplished, the turning motion is not as fluid and uninterrupted as a turn performed in surfing or snow boarding where the inward edge of the platform very nearly, or does, contact the transport medium (i.e., water or snow). Furthermore, when turning on conventional the skateboard the inward edge may lower slightly, but the pivoted wheel is truly where the majority of the turn occurs. Therefore, a quick, jerky shift in weight will accomplish a turn just as well as a slow, fluid, uninterrupted transfer of weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,576 to Scollan Jr. discloses a roller board which attempts to simulate the feel of snow or water skiing wherein a shift in weight in one direction causes a turn in an opposite direction. The invention utilizes two separate axles on both the front and the rear of the platform. One of the axles carries two wheels which are always in contact with the ground thus providing support to the platform, and the second axle carries wheels at lateral extremities of the board and provide wheels to guide the board through a turn. The wheels are positioned so far laterally away from the side edges of the platform a tight turn around a curb or other obstacle cannot be achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,824 to Zatlin discloses a skate board having three sets of two wheels each positioned at both the forward and rearward ends of a platform which is curved upwardly in a transverse direction. Therefore the three sets of wheels extend essentially along a curved axis. Thus, when shifting one's weight to make a turn, the inwardly facing edge must drop below its normal height above ground level in order for the outer set of wheels to contact the ground. However, this drop is compensated for by the curved shape of the platform, thus maintaining a considerable distance between the ground and the board's edge.